This S-Tier Diablo 4 Paladin Build Gets Kills Without Ever Swinging a Weapon

The addition of the Paladin to Diablo 4 in Season 11 has unlocked a whole new playstyle for fans looking to break free from the typical build setups. Paladins are much more tanky than other Diablo 4 classes, and focus on buffing themselves and their allies while simultaneously dealing passive damage to enemies. It’s this passive damage that Paladins can leverage to create a build that essentially requires them to simply exist to get kills, removing the need to swing their weapon almost entirely.

It’s clear that the changes made in Diablo 4 Season 11 have benefited the new Paladin class greatly, with the class able to withstand the improved enemy difficulty and clear the new Capstone Dungeons with ease. Although there are a variety of meta Paladin builds in Diablo 4 Season 11, most of them rely on the class’s Core and Ultimate Skills to slay foes. However, one of the strongest Paladin builds can get kills only using the Aura mechanic, making it perfect for both speedfarming and clearing dungeons like the Pit and Kurast Undercity.

Diablo 4’s Paladin Can Use Its Auras to Get Kills By Doing Nothing

Diablo fans familiar with the Diablo 2 incarnation of the Paladin class are likely familiar with its Aura mechanics, as this feature returns as a core part of the Paladin’s kit in Diablo 4. As a Holy Conduit that links the Paladin to the High Heavens, the class has the ability to channel Holy effects through their Aura skills. The Paladin’s Auras have a passive effect that is always in place and an active ability that can be triggered by pressing the associated button, giving the class a unique gameplay style that allows players to get kills without having to constantly spam Basic and Core Skills.

The Best Aura Skills for Paladins in Diablo 4 Season 11

Fanaticism Aura
Defiance Aura
Holy Light Aura

Each of these Auras accomplishes a different goal for the build. Fanaticism Aura gives the Paladin and their allies an Attack Speed and Crit Chance buff, but more importantly, its active ability Weakens all nearby enemies. Defiance Aura increases the Paladin and their allies’ Maximum Life and heals them, while its active ability lets the player become Unstoppable for 2 seconds. Both of these Auras are necessary for keeping the player alive and debuffing enemies, but the main damage-dealing Aura is the Holy Light Aura, which passively deals damage to nearby enemies every second, and actively chains bolts of light between enemies to deal damage and heal the player.

While not technically an Aura Skill, the Paladin’s Consecration is a great Defensive Skill to include on this build, since it creates a zone of healing for the player and allies that also Weakens and damages enemies. Speccing into the Disciple Oath and skills like Falling Star and Arbiter of Justice give the Paladin some improved movement options while also allowing Legendary Aspects like Aspect of Celestial Strife and Aspect of Ascension to further increase the class’s damage output.

Aura Paladins Need the Dawnfire Unique to Really Make This Build Shine

Image via Blizzard

Dawnfire Unique Gloves
- +[2-3] to Righteousness
- +[26.0-35.0]% Chance for Holy Light Aura to Deal Double Damage
- +[88-102] Strength
- +[489-526] Maximum Life
- Unique Affix: Holy Light’s passive now deals [225-450] Fire Damage every second around you. Each time an enemy dies within this aura, its damage increases by 50%[+] for 15 seconds, up to 10 times.

The keystone that brings this build together is the Paladin’s Dawnfire Unique Gloves, which takes its damage output to the next level. Not only does Holy Light Aura gain a chance to deal double damage, but its passive damage is now Fire damage that increases by 50% each time an enemy dies within range. With this aura active, players can quickly snowball damage when dealing with groups of enemies in the Pit of the Artificer or other close-quarters dungeons, where they will likely be killing multiple enemies within the skill’s range at any given time.